


Once Upon A Scandal

by ThatScottishShipper



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Ballroom Dancing, But Heroic Nyx To The Rescue, Forbidden Love, Gift Exchange, M/M, Minor Non-Consensual Touching By Creepy OC Count Guy, Princess Noctis, Rescue, Romance, Secret Relationship, Secret Santa, Social Anxiety, Touchy-Feely, dont post to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21945712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatScottishShipper/pseuds/ThatScottishShipper
Summary: Nyx and Noctis have been in a secret relationship, but at the Grand Insomnia Ball, where the Prince faces having an arranged marriage organised for him, will Nyx keep his emotions in check, or cause a diplomatic incident?*Written for the FFXV Secret Santa 2019.*
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Nyx Ulric
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52
Collections: FFXV Secret Santa 2019





	Once Upon A Scandal

Tonight was the night of the grand Insomnia Ball, and Nyx was nervous as all hellfire. Not because of how stifling the whole formal affair was, but what such an important event meant for the Prince.

 _His_ Prince.

Trying to stand tall against the wall, occasionally patrolling the perimeter for threats against the Crown, Nyx kept his heart closed off, enforcing the importance of this night for the son of King Regis.

But as soon as Noctis excused himself for a spell, exiting with that slight unsteadiness from an old injury that made the Kingsglaive’s heart squeeze, Nyx trailed him.

He found Noctis in the garden where they often met, provided sanctuary by lush greenery, and the sweetest roses. Sitting on the edge of the fountain, marbled in the majesty of the Astral Shiva, was _his_ Prince.

Draped from head to foot in a classic regal suit of the royal Insomnian Family, the young man tugged at the restrictive silk tie around his neck. He shot out a frustrated groan, stretching out his aching legs, wanting the night to be over already.

His irritation did not deter the flutter of wildlife gathering around him, from chirping starlings to the cats of the Court. One black cat with a fluffy white crest even curled by his side, unphased by Noctis’ annoyance.

Nyx smirked. _‘Like something from a fairytale.’_

Aside from the Insomnia critters, no one else was in sight, so the Glaive took the opportunity. Sneaking towards him, he placed his warm hands over Noctis’ eyes from behind, whispering a playful “guess who?”

Then the animal gathering dispersed, birds taking flight, and felines darting into the bushes, stealthily watching the scene from safety.

His grin widening, Noctis wasted little time. He leapt into Nyx’s arms, and kissed him with a desperation born of absence. A low hum voiced the pleasure of his company, not that Nyx didn’t get the memo.

When Noctis pulled back, the biggest smile graced his face, warmth flushing his cheeks. “You’re late.”

“Apologies for keeping you, _Princess_.” Rewarded with a dry chuckle, Nyx wrapped an arm around Noctis, pulling him close. “Didn’t want to attract attention.”

Noctis rolled his eyes. “It’s not you they’re gawking at. It’s just a stupid potential future pairing up party.”

Nyx smiled, relieved Nyx felt the same way. “Shame we can’t blow it for the servant shindig downstairs, huh? Not without _us_ being discovered.”

Itching with stress, Noctis blurted out. “At this point, I couldn’t care _less_ who finds out about us.”

But Nyx did. Nyx was a stranger in foreign lands. Nyx was a stranger that had been given a position of prestige in unforgiving times, by Noctis’ father no less. Nyx was a commoner stranger, who did not deserve the hand of a Prince.

And yet he tried his hand only to find it taken by the handsome man he had his eye on.

“As much as I want to shout our love from the rooftops, we need to be careful, Noct,” Nyx said humorously, tilting the Prince’s head up to meet his. He admired the way those dark eyes melted at the sight of his own. “I’m not exactly… the best match for your old man. And they’re likely to shoot me down.”

Noctis unfolded his arms, letting them reach Nyx, one hand brushing his cheek. “Well, I think you’re the perfect match, to me anyway.”

Lips teasingly close, the two drew closer, trying to make the most of this rare slice of peace away from the oppressive societal masses.

Suddenly, footsteps thundered down the path, and the two panicked. Before Noctis needed to tell him to hide, Nyx read his mind, disappearing into the nearest bushes, his braids the last thing swallowed by the green world around them.

Noctis anxiously checked himself, trying to calm himself down… only to find a sole Ignis approaching him.

 _‘Thank God.’_ Noctis rose to his feet, ready to greet his longtime advisor and friend. “Ignis, what-”

“Your absence is noted, Highness,” Ignis stated firmly, his bespectacled green glare scrutinising into Noctis’ very core. “As is the missing Glaive.”

Noctis’ blood ran cold, even more so when Nyx actually emerged from the bushes sporting a sheepish _you-caught-us_ look. Despite his earlier bragging, Noctis had known Ignis since childhood, and feared implicated him in this so called scandalous secret.

Not that Noctis believed there to be anything scandalous about it.

As Nyx warily approached Noctis’ side, expecting a thorough tongue lashing from prim and proper Ignis, they were instead given a weary warning. “Don’t keep everyone waiting.”

The advisor turned heel, and strode back to the ballroom, leaving the two perplexed but relieved lovers alone. One look at Noctis, and Nyx let out a nervous laugh.

“Close one, huh? Didn’t expect that to be so easy.”

Still somewhat perturbed, Noctis sighed, dusting down his jacket. “It’s Ignis. But he won’t say anything.”

“Wouldn’t expect him to. He does care about you.” Nyx held his arm out, smirking with a devilish charm he reserved for Noctis. “Care to be escorted back before the Palace sends out the guards?”

Without hesitation, Noctis took his arm, beaming like the luckiest guy in the world. “I’d be honoured.”

xxx

Before they re-entered the glamorous ballroom, Noctis reluctantly let his arms fall away, his private look reserved only for his Glaive. Nyx dramatically bowed by the door.

“After you, Highness.”

Noctis snorted, passing by, only to be sucked back into the suffocating world of politics, territorial alliances, and marriage. A marriage he had no say in. It took everything he had not to turn tail, and run back into Nyx’s arms.

As he stepped into the bourgeois fray, Noctis wanted to _scream_ . His entire life, he felt subjected to the whims of others, his entire life decided for him without _his_ consideration.

For all the emphasis on Noctis Lucis Caelum that night, he had never felt as woefully alone as he did then, even as ambassadors from other lands swarmed in, eager to introduce him to a potential blushing bride.

He caught Nyx’s barely concealed heartbreak in the windows of his soulful eyes one last time before being ushered elsewhere in a dizzying social. Noctis even saw Ignis glancing sympathetically from his place by Gladio, who gave him a steady stare of solidarity.

_‘Keep your chin up, Noct.’_

Lastly, Noctis found the fatherly eyes of King Regis, from his place on the throne. There was a strange melancholy in his expression, hardened crystals for the world, but thawed with affection for his only child.

His son, whose destiny was mapped out before him.

Nearly stumbling, Noctis found himself lead by the arm towards a gaggle of girls, his mind screaming _don’t touch me_. But his mouth wouldn’t open.

As Nyx rejoined his fellow Glaives, his heart fell at the sight of Noctis being forced this way and that, his unhappiness clouding the entire ballroom. He was startled from his fixated obsession by Libertus, nudging him.

“Someone’s taking their duty seriously,” Libertus jested quietly, while Crowe raised an eyebrow from the sidelines, flicking a rebellious brown bang from her face. “Making up for the smoke and mirrors act?”

“...Something like that,” Nyx answered, trying to smile, but the gesture didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Libertus and Crowe clearly weren’t buying it, but they did not wish to push the matter at such an open function.

 _‘Later over a drink?’_ Libertus conveyed with a lingering look.

 _‘Oh yeah,’_ Crowe’s wink communicated. _‘Even if we have to beat it out of him.’_

Nyx bit his lip, anticipating the dreaded moment when Prince Noctis would be courted off to a maiden from another land. His stomach churned, and he felt he was losing grip of the only stability he knew in his life.

A hand gestured towards one of the beautiful young ladies in court, with hair like blonde waterfall, and almond blue eyes. In a war torn world, where children starved and entire families were ripped apart, the flaunting display of prestiged titles and gleaming jewellery worth more than entire distraught towns sickened him.

Meeting Noctis had been a breath of fresh air, finding sentimentality among the rough diamonds in the privileged ranks. It was little wonder he...

An over dramatic leak of laughter nearly broke his restraint, but he kept his position. After all, Nyx was a Kingsglaive. There was no way he could blow this.

When Libertus leaned in, asking one more time if Nyx was _really_ alright, the dark clouds of his own doubt mingled with those of his Prince, suffocating everything in the glitzy, glamorous Ballroom.

…

Noctis hated it.

He hated it, and every word, every touch upon his person, made him want to scream. But then, he knew everyone would interpret his distress as him _causing a scene_ , most unbecoming of a future King.

Knowing that Nyx, _his future_ , was staring at him from afar, but being forced into strict protocol for the good of the evening brought his blood to boil. They were both puppets to expectations. His advisor knew it. His Shield knew it. His father knew it.

Even his best friend outside the Palace boundaries, Prompto, who had been sworn to secrecy about his relationship, knew it. Every time they met, Noctis’ stress crackled undeniably in the air.

He was trapped, and it _sucked_.

Ambassadors introduced him to rows upon rows of young women, decked in every colour and dripping with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies to accentuate their beauty and wealth.

They were probably nice girls, forced into this political game like he was, so Noctis didn’t hold it against them. He managed a smile, a polite word or two, but his heart beat for the Glaive across the room.

Their eyes met briefly before Noctis’ attention was once more stolen by a Count, desperate to introduce himself.

Nyx, meanwhile, kept his own attention on them both, unable to shake the sense of unease growing inside him. Flexing his fingers, minding a fiery glimmer around his hand, Crowe cleared her throat, and Nyx stopped.

No. No attention.

Breathing deeply, Nyx grounded himself, slowly finding his heart center. His calm evaporated instantly, however, when he saw Counts hand lingering just a little too low on Noctis’ back.

Nyx held his breath, unable to believe what he was seeing.

The friendly Count (a little _too_ friendly, Nyx assessed) kept his hand there, smiling just a little too privately with Noctis. When the pompously dressed man with a curling moustache almost villainous leaned in, most likely under the pretence of being heard in the loud Ballroom, Nyx _saw_ it.

The fright on Noctis’ face, wrestling between potentially causing a scene and enduring discomfort.

After an entire evening, pent up with stress, Nyx _snapped_.

The Kingsglaive charged forward, bringing the whole attention of the Court upon him. From the side of the throne, Ignis paled, sending disaster, and Regis simply raised a silver eyebrow, curious.

Glaring at the threat intruding upon the son of Lucii, Nyx took Noctis’ hand, guiding him away from the frightened man with a steeled glare. The Count shrank, quivering in his boots.

In front of Counts and Queens from other lands, before the King he served, the father of the son he swore to protect, Nyx clicked his heels together one last time in respect, then did the unthinkable.

He took hold of Prince Noctis, and planted their lips together, sealing their relationship together before the Court.

The Ballroom descended into complete stillness, shocked expressions and startled gasps rippling across the crowd. The Count wisely backed off, disappearing into the crowd.

From the shadows, Libertus’ jaw dropped, while Crowe barely suppressed a groan, unsure of whether to high five for his bravery or kick Nyx’s backside later for his foolishness. Equally as stunned, Gladio’s lips nevertheless tightened into a small smirk.

As for Ignis, analysing all the terrible repercussions this public scandal might impact Noctis, but a strange relief released the earlier tension he felt. Nyx, it seemed, had beaten him to the punch at protecting Noct from danger, something he was grateful to him for.

Still, the advisor glanced at the King, who watched silently. No visible signs of anger or disappointment lingered there, only a calm assessment of the scene before him.

Once the kiss ended, Noctis felt weak at the knees, clinging to Nyx to keep himself from falling. His heart pounded inside his chest, and he wanted nothing more than to keep kissing Nyx, to embrace the dream, but reality dragged them back.

As Nyx held the young man, he turned to the wide eyed crowds, then eventually to the King. His Majesty remained on his throne, taking in the sight of the two embracing on the dance floor, and came to his own conclusions.

Nyx expected the wrath of a King to crash upon him. But his greatest worry was Noctis, and his safety. He stepped forward, but was halted by a hand upon his arm, keeping him close.

Noct’s hand, his worried big blue eyes gazing up at him.

The Glaive rested his hand upon his, stroking his Prince’s trembling fingers, then he turned to Regis, expecting by now a burning face full of…

Amusement?

Confused himself, Noctis watched his father rise to his feet. The revelation of Nyx and Noctis’ secret relationship was rewarded with a tender smile, and a solid clap.

“My son,” Regis announced proudly, then gestured towards the Glaive. “And his suitor.”

The crowd stayed silent, reeling from the royal proclamation, but applause erupted from the sidelines. By the wall, Libertus, Crowe, and a handful of Glaives clapped for the Lucis heir, and his future prospect.

Once Gladio joined in, determined to show support for his Prince, Ignis smiled behind his hand.

Eventually, the entire Ballroom broke out in united applause, even if many present were puzzled by the turn of events. The Prince and the Glaive stood in the heart of the hall, holding hands in the open for the first time.

Thankfully, the discovery of their romance did not end in disaster, lifting their spirits.

“Talk about a happy ending,” Nyx whispered into Noctis’ ear, resting his forehead against his boyfriend’s.

Noctis linked his fingers with his Glaive, _his_ Glaive. “ _Our_ happy ending.”

Rising onto the tip of his toes, it was Noctis’ turn to tug Nyx into a soft kiss, something the Glaive was all too happy to return with feeling.

**Author's Note:**

> My FFXV Secret Santa 2019 Gift Exchange for samthefaerie. Prompt for Nyx/Noctis, Secret relationship that gets revealed becauseobe of them gets flirted with or is in danger of getting married off. So I went with both. 😁
> 
> Bonus points for Princess Noctis references. He even summons little critters in the Court Garden.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. 🖤🖤


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